Sticky Rice at the Orchid Cafe

It seemed a good idea at the time. The village chosen by Bob Andrews as a refuge from the chaos of Bangkok lay just off the north-south motorway. His partner Pan already ran the village store and noodle shop. Why not expand the business to include an English-style tea shop? But Bob hadn’t done his homework. Thai motorway travelers are in too much of a hurry to break their journey for a pot of tea and a plate of crumpets. And Thai villagers eat rice soup for breakfast, not bacon and eggs. Nevertheless, Bob did gain some profit from his failed enterprise, winning a rare insight into the life of a typical Thai village.